1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing device. Particularly, it relates to a video game device which alternately switches and implements a role-playing game and a shooting game. More particularly, it relates to a video game device for a role-playing game including battle scenes of the player character and enemy character attacking each other within a virtual three-dimensional space.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As examples of software for video game devices, there are the likes of role-playing games and shooting games. Regarding the shooting game, for example, there is a shooting game in which a flying object (player plane) operated by the player and a flying object (enemy plane) operated by the opponent fly in each others direction freely and attack each other in a virtual three-dimensional space. On the game screen, an image of the enemy plane seen from the player plane is displayed. While watching this image on the game screen, the player controls the movement of the player plane within the three-dimensional space. In this type of shooting game which imitates a flight simulator, both the player plane and enemy plane fly freely within a three-dimensional space. Therefore, high-level operation skills are required by the player in order to capture the enemy plane on the game screen.
As a measure to solve the above, there is a game device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. HEI 6(1994)-58058. This game device is structured so the enemy plane may be captured more easily by limiting the movement range of the player plane within a certain range against the enemy plane.
However, upon the present inventor examining this type of game machines, the following problems were found as a result thereof:
Foremost, if the enemy plane and player plane merely compete for the results of shooting while chasing each other back and forth (e.g. damages to, or the destruction of the enemy plane or player plane), strategies of the game will become meager.
Secondly, because the movement range of the player plane is limited within a certain range, although the operation of the player plane will become easy, the action of the player plane will constantly be boring.
Thirdly, if the player plane is only controlled in order to follow or chase the enemy plane, it is not possible to select the action or weapon etc. of the player plane by predicting the action of the enemy plane or the type of weapon the enemy plane will use etc. Therefore, the game will remain boring.
Moreover, in conventional role-playing games that utilized shooting games therein, the processing of such shooting games remained boring compared to actual shooting games.
Furthermore, in shooting games that use conventional lock-on systems, when attacking a large number of enemy planes by locking on the lock-on cursor, high-level operation skills are required if there are a large number of enemy planes. Thus, there was a problem of the shooting game being too difficult for a player without high technical skills. In such case, it would be possible to set a program so that the lock-on would be simultaneously performed against a plurality of enemy planes. However, if enemy planes not seen from the player are even locked on, there is danger of the amusement of the shooting game being lost.